Black As Ebony
Prolouge Silverstar strolled up to her Seeing Pond. A small, shallow pond nestled in a corner of the territory, unknown of by her warriors. The steel gray surface did not reflect back the hazy sun, or the jewel-leafed trees lining the edge, or even Silverstar herself as she sashayed to the waters' edge. Everyday, at the crack of dawn, Silverstar woke early to take a trip to her Seeing Pond to ask it the same question, which she stated now in a strong, confident voice. "My lovely Seeing Pond. Who is the fairest of them all?" The smooth, gray water started to ripple, and Silverstar waited for her image to appear on the surface, as it did every day, with a smirk on her face. But this was the day that all things would change. The water stopped stirring, and a pair of pale, white eyes stared back at Silverstar, framed by thick black fur. The leader looked down at her own pale gray fur in confusion. She had blue eyes. Silverstar gritted her teeth and tried again. "Seeing Pond, who is the fairest of them all?" Had she stuttered? No. The image stayed on the water, crystal clear. Silverstar bit back a yowl of rage. Silverstar's title of Fairest had been revoked and given to this...this pile of fur. She wasn't even that pretty. Sure, she had something going with those strange eyes, but her fur had no shine, nothing distinguishing about her. Silverstar pursed her lips as she padded back to her camp full of sleepy warriors. It seemed she had something to take care of - and soon. Chapter One Whitesnow stayed perfectly still at the edge of the river. Flashes of silver scales twisted in the water beneath her nose, but she was waiting for the perfect fish to come close enough. She was the best fisher in all of RiverClan, and she could only hear the taunts now if she fell in trying to catch a fish. She made a face, but quickly composed herself, refocusing. The sunlight reflected oddly off the scales of a fish as it came very close to the surface. Whitesnow seized her chance. poking her paw in the water, fast as lightning, and hooking her claws around the plump fish. She heaved it out of the water and dropped it at the rocks at her paws, biting it once on the neck before tossing it on the pile of fish she'd already caught. "Nice catch, Whitesnow!" She twisted her head to purr briefly at her best friend, Doveflight. Most of the cats in RiverClan shied away from Whitesnow; lots of cats thought of her as strange. She kept to herself, disliking socializing, and her white eyes certaintly made others feel strange when she looked at them. But Doveflight was different, going out of her way to speak to Whitesnow when they were both kits, soon becoming close friends. Doveflight waved her tail in farewell and disappeared over the hill into RiverClan's camp, leaving Whitesnow and the burbling river alone. "Now, where were we?" Whitesnow asked, purring with amusement. She settled down on the sun warmed rock, perfectly fine with having to wait for another decent fish to swim towards the surface. "Fine day for fishing, eh, Whitesnow?" A voice, sickly sweet, purred at Whitesnow's ear. "Oh!" Whitesnow jumped and spun around. Silverstar's big blue eyes looked....mocking. For some reason. "Hi, Silverstar. Yes, I suppose it is. I've gotten a lot of fishing done." She nudged the pile of fresh-kill she'd caught. "Wonderful, Whitesnow." The silver leader snickered and loped off towards camp. Confused, Whitesnow went back to waiting for a fish. But the forest surrounding her was suddenly quiet. No birds chirped loudly in the trees. No squirrels dashed wildly across the ground. No wind stirred the branches. The only noise was the suddenly eerie bubbling of the stream. Whitesnow got cautiously to her paws, suddenly feeling an unseen gaze burning her pelt. A huge, blocky shape burst from the bushes in front of her. With a caterwaul of alarm, Whitesnow staggered back; it was Rockleg that had pounced her. Was he just practicing stalking? But there was nothing practice like about his battle moves. His claws raked down her flank, drawing blood on contact, and his teeth bit hard on her ear and tugged. Whitesnow yowled and batted him away, but he lunged and dug his claws in her back. Whitesnow yowled in frustration. "What are you doing?!" She clawed at his legs, but her claws simply slid harmlessly through his thick black fur. "Get off me!" Rockleg growled and bit down on her paw as she tried to swipe at him again. Whitesnow howled as his teeth ground against bone. She struggled wildly, forgetting her training in her panic, and managed to tear her paw free from Rockleg's. Her triumph lasted only a moment; balanced precariously on her hind paws, on an uneven rock, Whitesnow was teetering unsteadily. With a rumble of satisfaction, Rockleg lunged forward and headbutted Whitesnow in the stomach - breaking what little balance Whitesnow had left on the slick rock. With a wail, Whitesnow landed in the too-swift current with a white-watered splash. Chapter Two There was nothing but cold, black water surrounding Whitesnow. The current was too strong for even her to swim, and she was one of the strongest swimmers in RiverClan. She flailed her paws helplessly as the current tugged at her, battering her mercilessly along the hard, pebbly riverbed. Something hard and unmoving slammed into her side - a boulder. She couldn't tell if she was in pain; the water was too cold, numbing her skin til she felt nothing. Her paws ached, her claws were wrenched, and her nose felt as if it would fall off. Her lungs craved air, but Whitesnow didn't know which way was up. Her thoughts were clouded, her mind blank. As all feeling left her completely, she tumbled into a deep, unrelenting abyss. It was an eternity before Whitesnow opened her eyes again. She was lying, soaked and sore, on wet sand. Her hind legs were still hanging in the lake, her tail streaming in the current. Every part of her hurt; she lifted her head to scan her surroundings and moaned with pain. When the sand of the beach gave way to lush green grass, it was obvious she was in WindClan territory. The grass was uninterupted by trees as it sloped up into majestic hills. Whitesnow laid her head back down, one muddled thought chasing itself around her head. How did I get in the lake? Obviously the river flowed into the lake, and had carried an unconcious Whitesnow along with it. The current moved swiftly enough that she was beached on the surface before her lungs ran our of air and StarClan came to claim her. Her lip curled. Rockpelt had betrayed her. "Hey, you. Drowned squirrel. Are you okay?" Whitesnow reluctantly lifted her head, clenching her teeth again a scream. A thin, small brown tabby tom stared down at her with amber eyes. He had the slight build of a WindClan cat, and smelled strongly of rabbit and heather. He touched her shoulder softly with a dainty paw, and Whitesnow wailed as her muscles protested. He jerked back with a blink of surprise. "Sorry! What did I do?!" He sniffed her pelt all over, whiskers twitching. "I'm one big bruise and you just poked part of it!" Whitesnow snapped, rolling onto her side. The tom looked remorseful. "Sorry! What..what happened to you?" Whitesnow huffed and licked one paw pad; the soft gray skin was cut and bleeding, unhealed by the stinging cold water. "I...I fell in the river. I was washed into the lake." The WindClan tom's eyes grew wide. "And you're still alive? Wow."Whitesnow rolled her eyes. "I'm Barkstripe," The tom continued. "Can I help you get back to your Clan?" He sniffed her shoulder again. "RiverClan, right?" Whitesnow nodded reluctantly, then shook her head wildly. "No. No, I can't go home. My...my Clanmate attacked me for no reason. He was trying to kill me." Whitesnow remembered Rockleg's unforgiving battle moves and felt her eyes darken. "I won't go back. I have to get out of here." Barkstripe looked doubtful, but shrugged. "Okay, whatever. Do you want me to get you something to eat? Some herbs?" Whitesnow sighed and pushed herself to her paws, stumbling slightly as her legs tried to reject the pain. "Fine. Is there anywhere I can...take cover?" She glanced along the barren landscape, doubtfully looking for some place to hide. Barkstripe nodded enthusiatically. "Follow me." He bounded up the hill, pausing and turning when he realized Whitesnow wasn't right behind him. She was chugging at a snail's pace up the hill. He sighed and bounded back down, offering her his shoulder to lean on. Whitesnow collapsed against him gratefully, even though he was so much smaller than her that he offered little support. "I never caught your name, white-eyed wonder," Barkstripe remarked as they crawled up the hillside. She smiled to herself, amused that yet again her eyes had been the focus of attention. "Whitesnow." Chapter Three Silverstar dragged her tongue lazily across her flank, enjoying the way her shiny silver fur sparkled in the fading sunlight. She was obviously the fairest cat in the land. Dead-eyed Whitesnow had nothing to her. "Silverstar." A deep voice croaked from outside the dense reed walls of her den. Silverstar sat up; that was Rockleg, whom she'd sent to dispose of Whitesnow. "Come in," She called in her best I'm-Your-Leader voice. A sleek gray and black tom slid in, green eyes haunted. "Did you do it?" The black-legged tom glanced down at his paws. "Sort of..." Silverstar stiffened. "Sort of?" "Well...She fell in the river. But," He continued hastily as Silverstar's nostrils flared, "the current is so swift right now, even she wouldn't be strong enough of a swimmer to survive. I guarantee she's drowned, her body at the bottom of the lake." Silverstar curled her lip. She didn't like the note of doubt in Rockleg's voice. Without a word, Silverstar got to her paws and left the camp, sweeping across the territory until she came to her Seeing Pond. She crouched by the edge of the water, staring deep into the dove-gray water even though no reflection stared back at her. "Who is the fairest of them all?" She demanded with no preamble. The surface of the water rippled, clearing to reveal a shadowy face, a curling smile...and glowing white eyes. Whitesnow was still alive. With a roar of fury, Silverstar slapped at the water with a paw, gray water cascading around her perfectly groomed tabby pelt. Withing moments she became eerily calm, turning casually to head home. "Looks like theres two cats I'll have to take care of," She said to herself. ~ ~ ~ Whitesnow crept through the pine trees, ears perked high in alert and mucles bunched in a crouch. After eating the rabbit Barkstripe had caught her, accepting the herbs he had swiped from their medicine cat, and letting her exhausted muscles rest, she'd set off for ShadowClan territory. She knew she was playing with fire, cutting straight through ShadowClan and ThunderClan territory to the woods beyond, but it was the safest. Silverstar wouldn't come looking for her if she was that far. All she had to do was get past ThunderClan territory... Her thoughts were interupted by a loud laugh, off to the left and ahead of her. Whitesnow stiffened and dove under a spiny tree, the tough branches scraping her pelt. The laughter got no closer, but a soft babble of voices kept up. "Keep your tail down, Bramblepaw, you look like a duck," A voice purred, so far away that the words were barely heard. Whitesnow hesitantly pulled herself from the bush,. creeping towards the voices. The trees ended abruptly, forming a clearing, sloping down slightly. Whitesnow threw herself up a tree at the edge of the clearing, climbing high up and settling herself in the crook of a branch to watch. Three young cats and three older were in the clearing, the smaller ones - apprentices - tousling playfully. The older ones, the mentors, chatted easily at the edge of the training clearing. "Ow!" A small yellow tabby she-cat jerked away from a dark tabby tom, his teeth ripping across her ear. "Ow! Mossheart, Bramblepaw bit my ear!" A pale tortoiseshell rolled her eyes. Frustrated, the little she-cat pounced on the brown tom. He struggled beneath her, but she managed to press her slight weight against him and pin him long enough to nip his ear savagely. He yelped. "Oh, Bramblepaw, don't act weak!" A black mentor snapped. The tabby tom righted himself, scowling dejectedly as he wiped a single drop of scarlet balanced on the tip of his ear. "But Sunnypaw wasn't supposed to bite-" "Neither were you," A wisened gray tom pointed out. A young white tom huffed in amusement. "Shup up, Cloudpaw," Bramblepaw snapped. "Graywhisker's right, though," The white tom chuckled. In the tree, Whitesnow's mind was whirling. She needed to go straight through this clearing to get to ThunderClan, but she couldn't just waltz past the ShadowClan cats. She needed a distraction. Below her, a rabbit nibbled at a nut, looking preoccupied. If she broke off a piece of bark, and dropped it behind the rabbit at just the right angle, it would sweep right past the ShadowClan cats. But would they give chase? It was worth a shot. Whitesnow broke off a piece of branch, gently, so the noise didn't alert the cats below, and very carefully dropped it down. It hit the ground right behind the rabbit, the displaced air ruffling the fluffy fur on its tail. Without hesitation, the rabbit took off - right into the clearing. The white tom, Cloudpaw, sqwuaked as the rabbit pelted straight towards him. The three apprentices pelted after it - but the three mentors stayed behind. Crap. Whitesnow balanced on her hind legs, looking for something else to use as a distraction- Crack! The branch Whitesnow was standing on snapped in half. The RiverClan she-cat bounced off the branches of the tree, a startled yowl escaping her teeth, and hit the ground with a loud thump. "What was that?" A pounding of paws, and three ShadowClan cats loomed over Whitesnow, eyes full of hostility. "Intruder!" The tortoiseshell, Mossheart, snarled. The black tom's nostrils flared, the gray tom's ears flattened. With a howl of fear, Whitesnow shot to her paws and streaked off faster than the rabbit, her paws maneuvering the thick trees easily. "Whoa!" Sunnypaw reared on her hind paws in alarm as Whitesnow nearly slammed into her. The rabbit lay at her paws. "Who're you?!" "Help me!" Whitesnow hissed. "I mean no harm, I'm just passing through!" "Bramblepaw!" A voice yowled. Whitesnow leaped under a bush, the leaves tangling in her dark black pelt. "Sunnypaw," Mossheart panted as she flew in. Talonpelt and Graywhisker were right behind her. "Where did the intruder go?" "Intruder?" Sunnypaw widened her big green eyes, looking innocent. "We didn't see an intruder." She glanced pointedly at Cloudpaw and Bramblepaw, and they nodded quickly. "Well," Graywhisker said, his eyes shifting uneasily. "Grab that rabbit and let's get back to camp. We should warn Sootstar." Cloudpaw and Bramblepaw loped off after their mentors, but Sunnypaw hung back to pick up the heavy rabbit. Her eyes glowed into Whitesnow's for a moment, before she turned and raced after her Clanmates. Whitesnow exhaled in a gust. Chapter Four Whitesnow stared numbly at the bushes ahead. She knew perfectly well the ThunderClan camp lay beyond them, and she was on a suicide mission if she decided to stroll right past it, but what choice did she have? The land beyond ThunderClan was the only chance she had. She took a deep breath and thrust her way through the bracken, shouldering the bushes away. The lip of the hollow greeted her, and she stealthily crept along the edge, hugging the bushes to keep from kicking anything into the hollow. But she couldn't resist a quick peek down. The camp was nearly empty, the scents of warriors and apprentices stale. Only the elders and a lone queen with kits remained in the camp, and the medicine cat and his young apprentice. Whitesnow smiled to herself. It would be easier than she thought to creep past the unsuspecting Clan. She had nearly cleared the hollow, when her paw slipped on the edge of the cliff. A shard of stone broke off from the edge and toppled into the camp - bumping a white and ginger kit in the leg. She jumped and batted at it in surprise. The queen, a white cat with ginger speckles, followed the path of the rock up to where Whitesnow was crouching, frozen with fear. The RiverClan cat's heart took off - she knew that cat. Sunspeckle. "Whitesnow?" She asked incredulously, her blue eyes wide. "What are you doing there?" Whitesnow stared at her paws. "Just passing through," She mumbled. "Are you lost?" Sunspeckle asked curiously. "RiverClan is that way." She pointed with her tail towards the river. Whitesnow shook her head. "I'm not going to RiverClan," She muttered. Sunspeckle narrowed her eyes. "Come down here, please, Whitesnow." She sighed and crawled over the lip of the cliff, digging in with her claws to get a grip, then flinging herself off the edge and hitting the ground heavily inside the camp. Creekwhisker, the medicine cat, widened his eyes in fear as she leaped, narrowing when she appeared unharmed, and went back to work, nudging his apprentice Hollypaw sharply. Sunspeckle's kits squealed in fear as Whitesnow dropped into their home. "An invasion!" A ginger tom wailed, darting off to the fallen tree to hide among the branches. A she-kit that was like a tiny copy of her mother screeched and dove into a tabby elders wide belly, hiding among the thick fur. A white she-cat stood rigid, eyes huge in terror, until a ginger and white tom kit nudged her away into the shadows. Sunspeckle rolled her eyes. "What are you doing?" She demanded when Whitesnow trotted up cautiously. "I'm leaving RiverClan. I'm headed for the territory beyond ThunderClan. Sunspeckle blinked. "Why are you leaving RiverClan?" She asked slowly, her tail swishing. "Silverstar wants me dead," Whitesnow whispered, her shoulders hunching. "I don't know why, all I know is that she sent Rockleg to attack me. I barely escaped alive, but I know she's looking for me. I need to leave before she does." Sunspeckle's eyes were wide in alarm. "Oh, great StarClan! Whitesnow, don't let that sadistic leader drive you away from your home - ThunderClan would take you in, and we'd protect you. You would be safe." Her eyes were bright with hope. "No, Sunspeckle, of course I wouldn't bring that on your Clan! This is between me and Silverstar - not even between RiverClan." She sighed. "I need to leave. I'm sorry." Sunspeckle mewed in distress and ran her tail down Whitesnow's flank. "Travel safely," She whispered. Whitesnow dipped her head to the ThunderClan queen, before hauling herself out of the hollow and racing off into the darkening forest. Chapter Five Whitesnow stared at the cliff at her paws, terror and awe bubbling up inside her. The lake was huge, the water rolling and rumbling in a dangerous way. Even the strongest RiverClan cat wouldn't be able to swim in that water. The land here ended abruptly in a cliff, the heaving surface of the water a few treelengths below. Sharp, craggy rocks were at the base of the cliff, threatening to impale anything that lost their footing on the cliffside. Whitesnow leaned over the edge, totally enthralled by the majestic water. There was a crack. The rock Whitesnow was standing on lurched wildly. With a yowl of alarm, Whitesnow scrambled back, but the rock plummetted towards the water. Whitesnow whirled and leaped for the sturdy rock, but mistimed her jump; her claws caught the edge, her lower body swinging and banging hard against the rock. Panicked, she churned her hind legs through thin air, her claws aching from supporting her weight. "StarClan help me!" The rock her claws here embedded in was beginning to crumble, rock dust showering into her eyes. She had merely seconds before she slipped completely off the cliff and into the frothy water below. Whitesnow leaned all her weight into her chest and lurched her forepaws forward, trying to dig them into more solid rock, but her body slid off the edge - and plumetted down, towards the dangerous rocks. Her yowl followed her down. The wind whipped through Whitesnow's fur, stinging her eyes and making her lungs burn. She felt, for one terrifying moment, light as air, like she was flying, gliding on the air currnent. But then it was gone, replaced by sheer horror; she was going to die in seconds. Something snagged in her neck, stopping her fall and giving her whiplash. She hung there for a moment, gasping in air to her sore lungs and trying to grasp the fact that she was no longer falling. Whitesnow twisted her neck around to see what had stopped her fall, and gasped; there was a flash of tabby fur. A cat had caught her scruff in their teeth as she was falling? "Stop wriggling!" A voice hissed, muffled, in her ear. She obeyed, letting her body go limp. What in the name of StarClan? Whitesnow was hauled over the edge of a small shelf that protruded from the cliffside, her skin scraping on the rock. She was alive. She wasn't going to die on the sharp rocks. She looked up at her saviour. A middle aged tabby tom, with moderately groomed gray fur and tired green eyes. His stance was guarded, like he thought she was rouge and would throw him over the cramped shelf that grew from the cliffside. "Thank you!" Whitesnow gasped, unable to keep the breathlessness from her tone. "No problem," He muttered, stretching one shoulder gingerly. "I might've pulled something, though..." Whitesnow collapsed on the smooth stone, resting her head on her paws and trying to slow her breathing. I'm okay. I'm alive. "Whoa." The tom squeaked in surprise and scuttled back as far as the small ledge would let him. Whitesnow lifted her head, feeling the confusion on her face. "It's you." Whitesnow tilted her head to the side, absolutely dumbfounded. "I don't think we've met..." She said slowly, getting to her paws. "No, no, of course we haven't." The tom shook his head fast, his unkempt gray fur flinging. "But I saw your relfection in the Seeing Pond-" "What?" Whitesnow interupted, wanting badly to get away from this babbling tom but having no way. "The Seeing Pond. A pretty silver she-cat went there everyday, and would ask it, 'Who's the fairest of them all?' Most times her image would appear on the surface of the water, but a few days ago a different cat showed up on the surface. You. I would remember those white eyes." Whitesnow's mind whirled. Silverstar had been slipping out everyday to ask a pond who the fairest of them all was. And up until a few days ago, her image had shown up? Except for the day Whitesnow's appeared? "You're the fairest of them all," The tom pressed, his green eyes bright. "Not her!" That's why Silverstar wanted her dead. She was always about self-image, and if someone else outranked her... "I need to go," Whitesnow hissed quickly. "I need to go now. How do I get back up?" The tom nodded towards a stone path that winded steeply back to the top of the cliff. Whitesnow threw herself up the path, keeping close to the weathered stone of the cliff so she didn't topple off the edge. She was halfway up the cliff when she realized the gray tom was close behind her. "What are you doing?" She hissed, forcing her legs to move faster. She had to get away! "I want to point you in the right direction," He panted, trying hard to keep up. Whitesnow growled in frustration but shot up the path, stopping to rest only when the rocky slope turned to flat grass. "What?" She grunted when the tom caught up, wheezing. "I...want you...to head....that way," He gasped, pointing away from the shoreline of the lake, into a thick oak forest. "Why?" She demanded, impatient with his hitched breath. "There's some cats who you should meet," He murmured, recovering. He touched her shoulder gently with her tail tip before plunging back down the slope, disappearing along the way. Chapter Six Whitesnow streaked through the forest, keeping alert. These woods were unfamiliar and the trees closely packed, and she was constantly in danger of smacking into a tree or getting caught on a bramble. She still wasn't sure why the tom had pointed her in this direction. Who in the name of StarClan would want to meet her? Whitesnow stumbled into a creek, greedily lapping up water to soothe her burning throat. She only hoped she could find these cats who needed to meet her so badly soon; her paws ached, and stomach thought her throat had been ripped out. As if to prove a point, her belly gurgled pathetically. There was a snap. Whitesnow's head jerked up, water splashing over her chin. On the bank of an island, far from the shore of the creek, two pairs of eyes glowed at her eerily. She stifled a shriek of surprise and swallowed down her fear. "Hello," She called uncertainly, her pelt crawling. A voice drifted towards her. "Is it her? The Saviour?" "Duh! Do you see those eyes? Of course it's her. Unless it's another Worshipper that we've never met." "There are no other Worshippers, except for us!" There was a pause. "Right?" "I sure hope so." Whitesnow swallowed hard. What were they talking about? "Come here," One voice called. The two figures slid out of the shadows; a dark brown tom and a golden dappled she-cat. Whitesnow slithered happily into the water, paddling to the shore of the island and crawling up next to the strange cats. They stared her up and down, awe obvious on their faces. "What is your name?" The she-cat eventually asked after a few long, awkward moments. "Whitesnow." "Whitesnow," The tom whispered wistfully. "I never thought I would meet her in my lifetime." The she-cat shook her head. "Me either. Let's take her back to Ebony!" "Okay!" The two circled Whitesnow, steering her deeper into the island. She went reluctantly, her paws dragging through the grass. "My name's Dusk," The tom murmured in Whitesnow's ear. "The she-cat is Tiff. We're two of your Worshippers." "What?" Whitesnow asked in surprise, nearly stopping dead. "What would someone worship me for?" "You'll find out from Ebony when we get to the denning place," Dusk murmured, his green eyes shining in the strong mid-day light. The denning place was a sandy hollow in the center of the island, with dens made of thickly woven thornless brambles. The place was littered with just over a dozen cats, maybe fifteen. About five cats, all black-furred, were lounging on some smooth, flat rocks shaded by a few tall, towering trees. Only black-pelted cats were resting. "Hey!" Tiff yowled, instantly drawing attention. "We found the Saviour!" A few cats yowled and raced toward her, changing direction when they realized Whitesnow was standing by Dusk. She ducked behind the brown tom, feeling self-concious as all eyes turned to her. "Tiffany?" A black she-cat slid from the shadows. "Are you sure?" "Just look at her eyes, Ebony!" Tiff burst, fur prickling with excitement. "It's her!" Whitesnow gasped. Ebony had slithered off a rock shadowed in darkness, presenting her eyes. They were white, but not bright and lively and silvery like Whitesnow's. They were the dead, lifeless, paleness of a cat who'd gone blind. There were claw mark scars under each eye. "What of the eyes?" Ebony asked impatiently. "They're white! Real white, not like yours!" Ebony rolled her sightless eyes, then looked interested. "Come here," She demanded. Dusk gave Whitesnow a gentle nudge towards the blind black cat. Whitesnow gulped and padded forward slowly. "H-hello," She stammered. "Greetings. I am Ebony, current leader of the Worshippers." "Dusk said something about that. Why do you worship me, or whoever you think I am?" "You will save us from the Silver Queen!" Tiff burst from the crowd. Whitesnow whirled around, fur spiking. "What?!" "Shall I explain?" Chapter Seven All eyes turned to where the voice had come from. Green eyes glowed from the darkness of a cave set in bulbous boulders, and a lean, golden tabby tom slid out. All the cats crouched low, letting their belly fur and whiskers brush the ground, in a bow. All eyes closed. Even Ebony, the leader of these strange cats, bowed low. Following example, Whitesnow dropped into a crouch, trembling as she closed her eyes. "Stand, Saviour." The voice came close to her ear, low and amused. She opened her eyes and straightened, dipping her head respectifully. "Do not bow," The golden tom sounded appalled. "We should all be bowing down to you." Whitesnow's heart contracted. "Why?" "You are the Saviour." At Whitesnow's blank stare, the tom laughed. He was young, not much older than her, though he eminated a feel of power and wiseness. "Many moons ago," The tom began, "we lived in solitude as the Island Cats. There was a cat here, named Silvie, who was always haughty and obsessed with herself. One day, she found of a very large group of cats, divided into Clans, who lived peacefully by a lake. She told our leader, at the time, Gina, that she was leaving. It caused uproar, and Silvie started a fight with the Island Cats. She eventually left, knowing it was stay and fight and be killed, or leave and live. But she left us an enemy; if she ever showed her face here again, we were to kill her on the spot. "She did come again, with a group of cats she called warriors. She set them on us to fight us, and we just barely managed to keep our group alive. We lost many lives, but Silverstar - as she called herself now - left promising to return again and again, until we were all dead. "The night after the first attack, I had a dream. A cat with stars in her fur came to me and spoke of a cat with the eyes the color of snow, who would save of us from the Silver Queen. Ever since then, I have been known as the Predictor, because I predicted the future. Or, close enough to predicting it." He smiled crookedly. "Anyways. Ever since I recieved the dream, we haven't been the Island Cats. We've been the Worshippers, dedicated to worshipping the Saviour - the cat with the white eyes who is going to save us from the Silver Queen." He gazed at her quietly, letting it sink in. "But...how am I supposed to save you?" Whitesnow begged. "I would help you if I could, but how am I supposed to do it...Predictor?" He shook his head. "Please, call me Patch. Hearing my formal name from your mouth makes me cringe." He smiled. "And, I'm afraid I cannot tell you how you will save us. It would alter your decisions. I can tell you, however, that very soon the Silver Queen will return. And you will save us them." His green eyes searched hers, curiously. Whitesnow shook her head. "Honestly, I think you have the wrong cat," She stuttered, feeling hot in her fur. Patch shook his head. "Trust me, Whitesnow. Saviour. I can feel it in my bones; you will set the Island Cats free!" The cats all roared, stamping their paws on the hard ground and yowling their rage and triumph to the skies. Whitesnow felt intimidated. "Come," Patch chortled, turning and heading for the way Tiff and Dusk had led Whitesnow in. "I'll explain all the little details during a walk." Whitesnow hardly trusted this cat, but what choice did she have? As she was following Patch out of the sandy hollow, a tiny white kitten with a pelt streaked with mud to make it look black dashed up and danced around Whitesnow's paws. "Are you really gonna save us?" She squeaked, staring up at Whitesnow with curious blue eyes. Whitesnow bent her head and licked the kit's head, leaving behind a trail of clean white fur. "I'll try, little one." Chapter Eight Patch loped across the damp stones on the edge of the river, looking positively care free. "So, what happened to Ebony's eyes?" Whitesnow asked cautiously, wondering if it would be a question he was unwilling to answer. "Oh, when she became leader she clawed her eyes to make them white likes yours," Patch answered, totally nonchalant. "What!" Whitesnow halted on the stones, one lone sharp one digging into her pad. "Honestly, Patch, I can't believe you cats are so silly as to go as far as blinding yourselfs just to worship me!" Patch paused, his shoulders hunching some. "Listen, Whitesnow. We've lived in fear for years that the Silver Queen will come back and kill us all. None of us knew if you would come in time to save us. We do what we do because we believed if we were so dedicated to you, you would come safe us faster." He continued walking, a stressful gait to his walk. Whitesnow sighed and followed. Great. Insult the cats who worship you more than StarClan. "So, is that why I saw some cats covered in mud?" She asked. "They wanted to look like me?" Patch nodded slowly, but said nothing. Whitesnow sighed and trotted to catch up. "Look, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," Whitesnow mumbled, whiskers twitching. Patch glanced at her and shook his head. "It's not you. My sister died here." Whitesnow looked up sharply. They'd reached a spot in the river where the stones branched out and then rejoined, forming a small pool in the middle of the shingle. Right in front of the pretty, clear pool, there was a long piece of driftwood, decorated with berry paw-prints and flowers. "She was shot by some Twolegs that were hunting," He murmured. "She came for a drink. There was a shot. She fell in the pool. I got her out, but she was already dead. Her flank was covered in blood..." He trailed off and shuddered. Almost unconciously, Whitesnow pressed her side against his. It felt natural. "We burried her here," He whispered. "In the stones. She loved this little pool." Whitesnow trailed her tail along his spine, wanting badly to stop his pain... "Did you hear that?" Patch asked sharply, his ears perking. All grief for his sister appeared to be gone. He was eyeing the bushes on the other side of the river wearily. There was a roar. All of the RiverClan warriors burst from the bushes, yowling battle cries. Even Doveflight was there, looking small and terrified. Whitesnow felt rooted to the spot as Silverstar strolled gracefully from the middle of the cats. "Now, Whitesnow," She drawled. "This is the perfect oppurtunity. To destroy the cat whom I despise most...and destroy the group of cats I hate the most." Her blue eyes glinted evily. She'd turned her entire Clan against Whitesnow and her Worshippers. "Run," Whitesnow whispered to Patch. They ran. Chapter Nine Whitesnow's lungs burned, her pads were bleeding terribly. She screamed in terror as her Clanmates tore up the riverbed behind her, Patch puffing out air in fear beside her. StarClan, let us warn the others in time! She thought of the tiny kit who'd asked Whitesnow if she was going to save them, who Patch had informed her was called Laia. She thought of the looks she'd gotten when she came into camp with Dusk and Tiff. That's her. The one who'll save us. Whitesnow was having visions of leading these bloodthirsty warriors into the sandy hollow full of unexpecting cats, slaughtering them before they knew what was happening, then finishing off Whitesnow. "We've lived in fear for years that the Silver Queen will come back and kill us all. None of us knew if you would come in time to save us. We do what we do because we believed if we were so dedicated to you, you would come safe us faster." Patch's words ran through Whitesnow's mind. Could she really, truly be capable of saving them all? Somehow, Whitesnow's legs moved faster. "The Silver Queen is here!" Whitesnow roared as she leaped into the sandy hollow. "She's here to finish us! Be prepared to fight!" The queen Krisie just had time to usher her two kits into a den when the warriors exploded into the camp, and immediately tore into the Island Cats. Frogfur's teeth met in a gray tabby's ear, tearing savagely. Suncloud grappled with a spitting Tiff. Ebony was crouched behind a group of cats trying to fend off Windtail, Fernstripe, and Berryfoot. Dusk and two other tabbies were trying to get Rockleg and Grassfire out of the den where Krisie, Laia, and Misty were denned. Patch clashed against the deputy, Bluelight, is a mass of raging teeth and claws and roars. Whitesnow barreled into Silverstar as she tried to jump onto Dusk's shoulders from the side, and thrust her wildly away from the other cats. "This is our battle, Silverstar," She said quietly. "Don't come here, threaten me and my friends, and then pick them off in the most cowardly ways." Silverstar's eyes flared. "Fine. You want to fight? Let's go." She crouched and leaped, but Whitesnow ducked and the leader flew over her head, hitting the ground on all fours. Silverstar snorted. "Most basic defence moves!" The silver she-cat taunted. "Let's see some blood!" She leaped again, but Whitesnow just wanted this to be over. She grabbed Silverstar between her forepaws and slammed her into the ground, hearing a grunt. A small trickle of blood ran down her head as Silverstar spit and struggled to get to her paws. Whitesnow let her. "Honestly, Whitesnow. Who trained you? A fish?" Silverstar lunged, but feinted at the last minute and wrapped her jaws around Whitesnow's flank. She roared and tried to flop heavily onto her side, trapping the crazy cat beneath her, but Silverstar let go and nipped her legs tauntingly before dancing away. Whitesnow froze, a memory racing through her thoughts. She hardly knew Silverstar was latched onto her back, coming back to reality to feel hot stinging pain in her back. She roared and bucked, finding renewed strength. Silverstar was flung to the side with a grunt of surprise. Whitesnow whirled on her leader with a daring look. "Come on, then, Silverstar. Still nimble enough to give a good chase?" With that, Whitesnow turned on her heel and raced out of camp faster than she'd run from the river to the island. There was a yowl, and the sound of Silverstar giving chase behind her. Chapter Ten Whitesnow leaped over the brambles, cursing as she was tripped up. She'd gained ground over Silverstar, who wasn't slowing her pace to veer around bushes, rather than bursting through them, and it was slowing her down. Whitesnow could hear the water slapping against sheer stone. Almost there. There was a shriek, and Silverstar streaked next to her, blue eyes glittering. "Give it up, Whitesnow!" She yowled. "You can't beat me! I am the fairest, and I always will be!" Not if I can help it. Whitesnow forced her legs to move swifter; she was moving so quickly she could hardly feel her legs anymore. Just a little farther! She screeched to a stop as the edge of the cliff suddenly stretched in front of her, the water heaving and rolling below. Silverstar halted, too, her eyes shinging. "You led me right to the perfect spot to kill you," Silverstar commented. "Thanks, Whitesnow." Whitesnow swallowed around the tight dryness in her throat, suddenly wondering if she could go through with it. Silverstar lunged at her, striking a paw across Whitesnow's cheek. With a yowl, she was flung towards the cliff's edge, the crumbling stone pressing into her spine. A whimper escaped her throat as she tasted blood in her mouth. Silverstar strolled forward slowly, a grin spreading across her features. "Oh, look at this," She drawled. "This is the same way I killed your mother, moons ago when she became Fairest." Whitesnow's stomach churned, remembering the day a hunting patrol had come back and reported Palegaze had died falling over a cliff. She'd been only a kit then. My mother was Fairest? Another thought struck her, hard. Silverstar killed my mother. Energy flowed into her limbs, and she felt her muscles bunch in anticipation. "My own sister," Silverstar continued. Whitesnow went slack momentarily with surprise. Silverstar is Palegaze's sister? Her heart hardened. No. I have to do this. Silverstar was shaking her head. "Such a shame. You were a wonderful warrior." She flew at Whitesnow, a snarl ripping her throat and her claws extended. Whitesnow brought her hind legs up and kicked them out and over her head, sharply. They cushioned Silverstar's body- And propelled it straight over the edge of the cliff. Her snarl turned into a caterwaul of surprise and fear, fading as she fell, and ending with a thud as Silverstar's body hit the claw-sharp rocks below. Whitesnow got stiffly to her aching paws, and, without looking to the water below, began the painful amble back to the island. Chapter Eleven Whitesnow stumbled into the camp, feeling like she was about to collapse. The camp was empty of RiverClan cats, the only sign of the battle being scraps of multicolored fur strewn across the hollow and blood staining the sand. There were, thankfully, no bodies, Island Cats or Clan. Only the Worshippers were in the hollow, licking tentatively at bites, scratches, and bruises. "Whitesnow!" Patch loped up, the fur on his shoulder torn and blood slicked, and a deep nick in his ear, but otherwise unharmed. "Where were you? What happened?" She smiled weakly. "I killed the Silver Queen. I saved you all." Then she fainted. ~ ~ ~ Whitesnow woke up in a cool, dark cave, on a sand floor. There was moss bound tightly against her back and flank, and a fresh fish waiting for her. She gobbled it up, but it left her mouth dry. She got stiffly to her paws and padded out into the sandy hollow. All the cats were gathered, mulling about and talking in low voices. Ebony was sitting on the shaded boulders, black tail wrapped tightly around her paws, white eyes staring blankly. Patch was speaking in a low voice to the gathered cats. Dusk looked up and caught her eye, then whispered low in Patch's ear. He turned and smiled hugely at her. "And now," Patch announced, leaping to stand by Whitesnow's side. "I announce, our Saviour!" The cats erupted into roars, beating their paws on the sand the way they had yesterday, the sand washed away. But there was a difference from yesterday's howls; yesterday, they were more bloodthirsty. Today, they were full of triumph. Whitesnow smiled tinnily. "Can I go get a drink, or am I so royal that I'll have my own servants fetch me some now?" She whispered in Patch's ear. A laugh rumbled through him. "I'll go with you," He chuckled. "Make sure there's no cats hovering around. You're too weak to defend yourself right now." Whitesnow snorted, but let him lead the way out of camp and to the water's edge. "So," He said when she bent her head to lap. "The others and I were talking. We're becoming the Island Cats again, and..." Whitesnow lifted her head, water sliding down her chin. "Yes?" "We want you to lead us," He murmured, green eyes locking on hers. Whitesnow's heart froze. "What?" She whispered. "We know you're perfectly capable of it," Patch said quickly. "We want you to. You saved a whole lot of cats lives yesterday. One cat followed you and the Silver Queen to the lake, and when she saw you fling Silverstar off the cliff, she ran back and told us she was dead. The warriors left. Most of us would've died in the next minutes - including me," He said reluctantly. Whitesnow could only stare. "I...I don't know what to say," She stammered. Patch smiled that crooked smile she loved. "You just have to say yes." Epilouge Patch led his three kits, Minty, Pike and Snowy, towards the cliff face. Ten moons had passed since the leader of their group, and his mate, Whitesnow, had killed the old enemy of the Island Cats, Silverstar. Today, he was taking their kits to the spot where their mother had almost died trying to save them all. "Is the body still there?" Minty asked curiously, her green eyes very bright against her black fur as she leaned over the cliff's edge. Patch wrapped a paw around his daughter and pulled her back to avoid having her topple over. "Of course not," He chuckled. But he glanced towards the water below when they weren't looking to make sure he spoke the truth. "I bet her ghost haunts this cliff," Pike stated, his short golden fur spiking. "I bet she tries to kill any cat who comes here." "Pike!" Snowy yelped, cuffing him with a paw. Her eyes, just as white as her mothers, shone. "That can't happen. Ghosts aren't real; stop trying to scare Minty." But the small black she-kit hadn't heard; she was sniffing a patch of dark red-brown smeared on the grass. "Did Mommy get hurt here, Daddy?" She asked in a shaking voice, "This blood smells like her." Patch wrapped his tail around her. "Even if she did, it's okay now, remember? Mommy's alive, and she isn't hurt anymore." Minty seemed to accept this, and let out a squeal as she leaped at her brother and sister to play-fight with them. Patch looked up as the ferns rustled and his mate Whitesnow slid out. She purred at the sight of her kits screeching in a knot of black and gold fur, and came to sit next to Patch. "Back from the Seeing Pond already?" He asked, licking her ear. She nodded. "It was quick. I wanted to get home soon to see my babies." She smiled at her children with love-filled white eyes. "And my handsome mate." Patch grunted. "Uh oh. Is he taller than me?" Whitesnow snorted and shoved his shoulder. He grinned. Silverstar's influence was gone. No more would their peaceful lives be threatened by the Silver Queen. The Saviour had prevailed. The end.